Jonesboro, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonesboro, Louisiana
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| Town of Jonesboro | |
Jonesboro City Hall
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Location of Jonesboro in Jackson Parish, Louisiana
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 Jonesboro, Louisiana
Location in Louisiana
Jonesboro, Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Jackson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.90 sq mi (12.70 km2) |
| • Land | 4.85 sq mi (12.55 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,106 |
| • Density | 847.12/sq mi (327.09/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
71251
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| Area code | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-38670 |
Jonesboro (/ˈdʒoʊnzbʌrə/) is a town in, and the parish seat of, Jackson Parish in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 4,106 in 2020.
Contents
History
Founded on January 10, 1860, by Joseph Jones and his wife, Sarah Pankey Jones, as a small family farm, Jonesboro is now a small industrial mill town. Originally founded as "Macedonia," the small town's name changed to Jonesboro on January 16, 1901, after the United States Post Office Department approved the change and became the seat of government for Jackson Parish on March 15, 1911, following a parish-wide referendum. Jonesboro remains the parish's agricultural, industrial, economic, and governmental center.
During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, whites violently resisted African-American efforts to gain their constitutional rights as citizens, even after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Ku Klux Klan, which was active in the area, conducted what was called a "reign of terror" in 1964, including harassment of activists, "the burning of crosses on the lawns of African-American voters," murder, and destroying five black churches by fire, as well as their Masonic hall, and a Baptist center.
In November 1964, Earnest "Chilly Willy" Thomas and Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick (the latter ordained that year as a minister of the Church of God in Christ), founded the Deacons for Defense and Justice in Jonesboro. It was an armed self-defense group, largely made up of men who were World War II and Korean War veterans. At night, they conducted regular patrols of the city's black community which occupied an area known as "the Quarters". They protected civil rights activists and their families during and outside demonstrations. At the request of activists in Bogalusa, another mill town where blacks were under pressure from violent whites, Thomas and Kirkpatrick helped found an affiliated chapter in that city. Ultimately there were 21 chapters in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, operating through 1968. In Jonesboro, the Deacons achieved some changes, such as integrating parks and a swimming pool. Activists achieved more after congressional passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and their entry into politics.
Geography
Jonesboro is in southwestern Jackson Parish. U.S. Route 167 passes through the town's northern and eastern sides, leading north 22 miles (35 km) to Ruston and south 23 miles (37 km) to Winnfield. Louisiana Highway 4 passes through the center of Jonesboro, leading east 17 miles (27 km) to Chatham and west 19 miles (31 km) to Lucky.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Jonesboro has an area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km2), of which 4.8 square miles (12.5 km2) are land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 1.17%, are water. Jonesboro water bodies drain north to the Little Dugdemona River, which turns southwest and forms the southward-flowing Dugdemona River.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Jonesboro has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,134 | — | |
| 1920 | 837 | −26.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,949 | 132.9% | |
| 1940 | 2,639 | 35.4% | |
| 1950 | 3,097 | 17.4% | |
| 1960 | 3,848 | 24.2% | |
| 1970 | 5,072 | 31.8% | |
| 1980 | 5,061 | −0.2% | |
| 1990 | 4,305 | −14.9% | |
| 2000 | 3,914 | −9.1% | |
| 2010 | 4,704 | 20.2% | |
| 2020 | 4,106 | −12.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,531 | 37.29% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,066 | 50.32% |
| Native American | 3 | 0.07% |
| Asian | 102 | 2.48% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 135 | 3.29% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 268 | 6.5% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,106 people, 1,374 households, and 754 families residing in the town.
Arts and culture
Jonesboro is the home of "Christmas Wonderland in the Pines", a local festival held annually. It begins the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day and continues through December.
Jonesboro also has a "Sunshine Festival" in the summer, featuring antique cars and tractors, food, and games.
Infrastructure
Transportation
U.S. Highway 167 passes by Jackson, which is located twenty-four miles south of Ruston. SR 4 joins Highway 167 at Jonesboro, which is in the southwestern portion of Jackson Parish.
Immigration Detention
The Jackson Parish Correctional Center is an ICE detention facility located in Jonesboro. It is a medium security detention center with a capacity of 1,252.
Education
The Jackson Parish School Board oversees the public school system within Jonesboro from a parish-level.
Zoned schools include:
- Jonesboro-Hodge Elementary School
- Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School
- Jonesboro-Hodge High School
The town is also home to the Louisiana Delta Community College Jonesboro campus, which offers courses in welding, business administration, and various general requirement courses.
Notable people
- Rodney Alexander, Republican former U.S. Representative and secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs in Baton Rouge
- Marty Booker, NFL wide receiver
- Marvin T. Culpepper, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Jackson Parish from 1964 to 1968
- James Houston "Jimmie" Davis, who is buried here, was a Louisiana governor, actors in the 1940s and 1950s, and writer of the song "You Are My Sunshine".
- John Garlington, American football linebacker in the National Football League, played with the Cleveland Browns
- Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick, singer-songwriter, ordained minister, civil rights activist and co-founder of Deacons for Defense and Justice here in November 1964; he recorded three albums for Smithsonian Folkway Recordings (1968-1978)
- Randy Moffett, president of the University of Louisiana System from 2008 to 2012, was born in Jonesboro in 1947.
- James P. Pope, former U.S. Senator from Idaho and former mayor of Boise.
- Jerry Robinson, NFL kick returner, born in Jonesboro, played professional football for the San Diego Chargers/NYJets, 1962-1965
See also
In Spanish: Jonesboro (Luisiana) para niños
